The Forced Gathering
by DarkChocaholic
Summary: When Rose Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy and a few other Hogwarts students are forced together to please the war hero fans, a mess of tangled feelings and confusion ensues. When under constant surveillance, what happens when no one can tell the difference between acting and the truth anymore ? ;P Rated T coz I'm paranoid. Seen from Rose's point of view, and sometimes other student's. :
1. Blackmail

_** Heyy guys ! I'm sorry for starting this story before updating "The Rose and The Scorpion" ! x( plz don't kill me ! I've been so busy with getting back to school, and meeting new people and stuff. :) I'll try to update more regularly ! **_

_** I suddenly had this story idea the other day, which I have never seen in a fanfic before, so I'm hopping it will be a bit more original than my other stories. :) Enjoy plz ! :P**_

_**Blackmail**_

You can't have anything to do with a war hero and not be besieged by the press. Even Neville Longbottom's plant provider and Hermione Granger's dentist have complained about the flashes blinding them every time they step out onto the street.

You can thus imagine how much more difficult it is for the heros themselves, and their close family, namely their children.

I'm starting to wish that my parents were not quite so famous as I step through the magical barrier which separates King's Cross from the Hogwarts Express platform, bracing myself for the deluge of reporters.

I'm not disappointed.

"And here we have the crowd favorite, Rose Weasley !" Lavender Brown squeals, clapping her hands excitedly and gesticulating towards me. The camera men surrounding the barrier immediately begin clicking away, and the large camera which was previously facing the hyper-active reporter, Miss Brown, swivels around to face me. I fix my signature charming smile on my face, like my mom taught me to do, and wave at the many cameras before pushing through the paparazzi firmly, dragging my trunk and other baggage behind me.

At first, they try to stop me going through, determinedly taking as many pictures as they can and putting themselves in my way. Luckily, they are quickly distracted by the arrival of my little brother.

"Hugo Weasley !" Lavender Brown squeals again, "This young man is turning out to be quite the charmer. Just look at that face girls, and try to tell me that you are not _completely_ and _utterly_ in love with it." I glance behind me in time to see Hugo wink playfully at the cameras, and flick his dark brown hair to the side in one practiced movement. I roll my eyes. My brother is entering his 5th year at Hogwarts, and has honestly become quite good-looking over the summer, with his chocolate eyes and hair, as well as his strong, yet slight features. He's also realised that, and has spent hours rehearsing his signature hair-flick in front of his magical mirror, which gives him a note out of ten on the attractiveness of the movement. He's also been working on winks, lopsided grins, lazy smiles and lip-biting. In short, we didn't see much of Hugo this summer.

"Rose !" Someone calls to me, and I turn around, grinning, just in time to receive a huge amount of white-blond hair right in the face as Holly Longbottom, my best friend, throws herself at me. I hug her back, giggling slightly at how crazy my friend is.

"Merlin Rose !" She suddenly exclaims, after a full minute of hugging, and I stiffen as I feel something huge crawling up my back.

"W... what ?" I ask shakily.

"I hope you're not afraid of spiders, because you have a huge one on your back !"

I scream loudly and break away from Holly, jumping around all over the place in a desperate attempt to get rid of the spider.

"Get it off Holly !" I shout, dancing on the spot, "Get it off !"

My friend just folds over in a fit of laughter, leaving me terrified with a huge spider on my back. I scream again and resume jumping around wildly, hoping to shake the monster off.

"Ummm... What are you doing Rose?" Someone asks next to me, and I turn tearfully towards my younger cousin, Lily Potter.

"Spi... spider !" I gasp, turning around to show my back to her, hoping she'll take it off.

"There's no spider you idiot."

I freeze. And finally understand.

"Holly you whore !" I exclaim, and stomp away towards the train, feeling utterly mortified.

…...

"You're afraid of spiders?" A silky voice asks as I lug my trunk up into the Hogwarts Express.

"Wow, you're even more of a stalker than I thought, Malfoy." I remark drily.

"I don't see why anyone would even dream of stalking you, least of all me." He shoots back, smirking in that superior way of his.

"What can I say, you're _special_." I reply, making it clear that I mean that as an insult.

"Like you can talk, with your oh so special hair."

Ok, I'm getting so sick of this guy, aren't you ?

"_Silencio_ !" I exclaim, wiping my wand out and pointing it at Malfoy. I grin, feeling very pleased with myself as his eyes widen and he opens his mouth in a silent curse. I stick my tongue out at him.

"See you 'round Scorpy darling." I say with a wink, knowing he hates it when I call him by his first name. He sticks up a very rude finger at me, but I just grin and turn away, hopping that my spell lasts as long as possible.

…...

_Rose Jeanne Weasley, _

_ Wizard's Charms, the acclaimed magazine,requests your participation in our newest game, which will take place through September till May 2023-2024. All details will be explained on the 23__rd__ of September, at the Wizard's Charms headquarters. Please send back your reply as soon as possible._

_ Yours Truly, _

_ Lavender Brown, Number 1 Reporter for the Daily Prophet, Wizard's Charms and Witch Weekly. _

I stare at the letter, grimacing at the mere idea of willingly participating in anything to do with the press. I then scribble back an answer furiously.

_Lavender Brown,_

_In your ridiculously empty and idiotic dreams. Did you die your hair brown by any chance, because you should go back to blond, it must suit you._

_Yours Sincerely,_

_Rose Weasley._

It doesn't take any longer than a few hours for the reply to come, and the tap of the owl on the window startles me out of the Jane Austen book I was reading. I know, sue me, I like that romantic, muggle literature, what kind of girl doesn't ?

_Rosie,_

_ I'm guessing that your response was supposed to offend me, but I have received far worse hate mail in my rather envy-producing career. Do you enjoy the Paparazzi by the way ? Because if you don't, you will be having a rather awful time dealing with the many more reporters I will be sending your way if you don't do this show. _

_ Say hello to your father, Won-Won, for me, and do let him know that if he gets bored with his bookworm, I'm always available. _

_ Yours politely, _

_ Lavender Brown, the best reporter of all times. _

__Someone really needs to Avada that b*tch.

…...

_Scorpius Hiperion Malfoy,_

_ Wizard's Charms, the acclaimed magazine,requests your participation in our newest game, which will take place through September till May 2023-2024. All details will be explained on the 23__rd__ of September, at the Wizard's Charms headquarters. Please send back your reply as soon as possible._

_ Yours Truly, _

_ Lavender Brown, Number 1 Reporter for the Daily Prophet, Wizard's Charms and Witch Weekly. _

…...

That same day, the day after the sorting ceremony and start of year banquet at Hogwarts, James, Lily and Albus Potter, Hugo Weasley, Fred and Roxanne, Molly and Lucy, Victoire and Louis Weasley, Lorcan and Lysander Scamander, Suzy and Max Longbottom, many Slytherins and a few other Hogwarts students, all got the same letter, and all accepted, either willingly or forcefully.

It would be a very eventful year.

_**There we are ! This is a bit different from my normal kinds of stories, but I hope you still enjoyed it ! :P Plz review so that I know whether to keep going with this story or not ! :) also, I would really appreciate i if you don't follow or favorite without reviewing, because that is the most annoying thing ever ! :)  
**_

_** xoxoxoxo**_

_** DarkChocaholic. :)**_


	2. Pinks and Browns

_**Heyy guys ! :P Here's the next chapter for you, I hope you like it. ;) **_

_**Pinks and Browns**_

"What do you think this game will be like?" Albus wonders as we wander through muggle london, sipping those deliciously sugary drinks all muggles seem to drink. I'm savoring an Iced Tea, my personal favorite, while Al and James are both drinking Coke in huge, manly gulps. Lily is obviously watching her sugar intake, so only bought a bottle of mineral water.

"Knowing Brown, it will probably be some gossipy talk-show or something." James replies with a shrug, before taking a huge gulp of Coke and swishing the liquid around in his mouth.

"You know your teeth will be even more disgusting if you keep doing that ?" Lily remarks with a grimace. In reply, James spits the soda out at his sister with a grin, who screams and leaps out the way, though she still receives a few drops of the sugary drink, to her horror.

"James you troll !" My little cousin shouts, before emptying her bottle of water all over her brother, who retaliates by splashing coke on her designer jeans and t-shirt.

Lily looks utterly shocked, and stands completely still, her eyes narrowed as she glares at James. We all wait with bated breath for her to explode.

She giggles.

"Wha..." James mutters, eyes wide at his normally bellicose sister's reaction, and then starts to smile a tiny bit, "I was expecting..."

Her leg shoots out, catching her sibling right in the center of his stomach at lightening speed, James falls back onto his, backside, clutching his stomach painfully. Lily grins.

"Did I tell you guys that I started to learn Karate ?" She asks offhandedly, before wandering down the street, hands clasped innocently behind her back. I grin and catch up to her, while the boys follow warily at a distance. You gotta love my cousin.

…...

A while later, after having toured our favorite shops in Covent Garden and around that area, we approach the ugly little store which disguises the Wizard's Charms headquarters. Squeezed between Mulberry and Paul Smith, it looks particularly derelict and dusty in comparison to the fancy stores, with it's filthy facade and fading lettering over the entrance, which spells out : "Sally's Third Class Bowlers". A collection of scruffy hats in the window illustrates this title. A muggle would have to be mad to venture in there, which is completely the point.

The bell tinkles slightly as we walk in, and is closely followed by Al's sneeze at the dust which covers every surface in the shop. Lily leads the way to ta small backdoor, and we all follow suit, only to bump into each other as she suddenly stops.

"Wow." she whispers, smiling, I peer over her shoulder, and can't hold back my own sound of appreciation.

"Wow."

The door opens out into a huge courtyard, which is paved with colorful tiles set out in complicated patterns and pictures : A hippogriff and a unicorn battle furiously, surrounded by vivid flames, a golden manticore prowls around a dark green dragon... In the centre of all this, a large mansion towers up, brightly colored vines winding around it's facade, forming the words "Wizard's Charms" along the whole wall, the large windows blending in with it. Who would have thought that such a fowl magazine could have such good taste?

We've hardly stepped out onto the rainbow colored cobblestones when a young wizard pops out of thin air right in front of us, making me and Lily jump.

In my short life I have met a lot of strange people, starting with Dudley, my uncle's cousin, and closely followed with my great uncle Bilius and great great aunty Muriel, who unfortunately is still alive despite her age. Just the appearance of this man, however would put all my eccentric family's strangeness to shame : His hair is messy and sticks up in every direction, which would be absolutely fine if it weren't striped every color under the sun : Yellow, orange, pink, red, green, blue, magenta, indigo, purple... name a color and it would be somewhere in that hairstyle. His face itself is quite plain, with slight features and a wide forehead, except for his eyes which are the most vivid blue I had ever seen, almost as bright as sapphires. They are even more magnificent as they are bought out by the electric blue suit he is wearing. He's actually quite good looking, despite his eccentric style, and even that can be overlooked in the wizarding world. He seems to be about the same age as James, and looks slightly flustered and embarrassed as he speaks.

"G... Good day, venerable clients, if you would please follow me to Miss. Brown's office, she will be delighted to see you."

"No she won't." Lily argues, crossing her arms stubbornly and glaring at the wizard, though I notice that she's holding back a smile, teasing him. The poor wizard blushes furiously.

"No... eh... well, follow me anyway, please." He mutters before turning around and leading the way briskly across the cobblestones. I roll my eyes at Lils but she just grins and follows the rainbow. Dammit, I just got that muggle song into my head.

Inside the mansion is even more incredible than outside : we walk through countless corridors, each of them completely different from the last. We change from bright rainbow colors to black and grey so fast that my head begins to hurt, and alternate between shinning marble corridors and glimmering gold ones every few seconds. There are modern muggle styles, all in beige and red, and old fashioned wizard ones, with dark stones and spooky suits of armor. The lighting changes from normal to dark to blindingly bright every few seconds, in such a way that our eyes are watering by the time we arrive in front of the bright pink door which marks the entrance to Brown's office.

"Ah, you're finally here !" Lavender exclaims, clapping her hands, when our guide pushes the door open and holds it for us to step into the office, "You really must stop being so slow Alex !"

"Sorry, mother." Alex says, gritting his teeth and looking down at the light pink floor.

"Honestly, how am I supposed to keep you here if you can't even do anything well ? Now go get the other guests." She snaps, waving dismissively. Alex frowns and then turns on the spot, dissaparating with a small "pop".

"There are other people coming ?" I ask once he's gone, glaring at Brown to let her now ho unhappy I am with the situation. She just smiles back.

"Oh yes, quite a few people will be doing this game with you, but I'm afraid you have not all been invited today, only the... let's say principal characters will be here for now."

"How many people are actually doing this ?" Albus asks, frowning.

"About 20." She says, grinning widely.

"Right, this is completely useless if we don't even know what we'll be doing this." Lily snaps, crossing her arms.

"My, you are quite a moody lot aren't you?" Lavender tuts, grinning.

"I reckon it's quite normal for us to be "moody" seeing as we really do not want to be here." James says, rolling his eyes, and Albus nods his consent.

"I will explain once the rest of the candidates are..." A knock on the door interrupts her, "Speak of the devil !" She finishes, dimples forming in her cheeks as she smiles.

The door opens, and a whole cortege of people file in : The Scamander twins, who are Parvati Pavil's children, and are gorgeously tanned from their Indian origins, Holly Longbottom and her brother Max, my brother Hugo, my cousins, Fred and Roxanne, Molly and Lucy, and Victoire, Dominique and Louis. I'm starting to feel a bit more relaxed, after all, all these people are my family or close friends, the game can't be that bad. Then I see the one person I hate the most : Scorpius Malfoy.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" I ask angrily, glaring at Malfoy. He glares back at me hatefully.

"We'll come to that later," Brown answers, "for the moment, I believe you all deserve some explanations."

This is enough to capture me and Malfoy's attention, and we both turn towards her.

"Yes we do, so tell us." James demands.

"Yeah, spit it out." Fred adds.

"The suspense is _killing_ us!" James grins.

"_Suffocating_ us !"

"_Annihilating _us !"

"_Murdering _us !"

"Will you two shut up for once, your mindless talking really is killing us." Malfoy says, and for once I agree with him.

"Now tell us what this is about." Holly says, turning towards Brown.

"Well, do you know those reality shows on muggle TV?" She asks, and we all nod, seeing as Muggle studies became so popular after the war, "Well, we thought we could do something like that, where we put a few famous or interesting people in the same environment, and film their every move, occasionally making them do games of competitions. You are the chosen people, and we will create interesting environments, challenges and situations for you. The puplic will love that. We are also hoping for some match-making, but if there is none we may chose a few to act it out, just to add a bit of that _spice_ which we all love so much."

"But we don't have TVs." Max points out, looking very uncomfortable at Brown's idea.

"No, but we have something so much better : We have the newest technology in moving photographs, which is even better than muggle films. We can just put the photo into our magazine, complete with a way to activate it. Like that, the witch or wizard can just buy a magazine, and watch the newest gossip whenever they want thanks to the photos."

"That sounds like the worst idea ever." Lily says bluntly, and nearly the whole room consents, including Alex Brown, who glares at his mother as he shouts a loud yes. Lavender just grins.

"Well, we'll have to wait and see won't we ? And Alex, seeing as you hate this idea so much, how about I prove you wrong by making you do it too ?"

_** There we are ! I was a bit evil to poor Alex. But you have to admit, he just has to be a character, he's that awesome. ;) I promise he'll get a bit less shy. :P Who do you think he should end up with ? I personnally think Lily, but otherwise there's Holly, Roxanne, Victoire and Molly and Lucy ( I might have forgotten a few too... :P) I know that normally the Lysander kids are Luna's kids, but I so think she belongs with Neville, so they're Parvati's instead ( + like that they're indian too, gorgeous ! ;) xDD) **_

_**Plz don't follow or favorite without reviewing ! :'( **_

_**xoxoxoxo **_

_**DarkChocaholic**_


	3. Catching up

_** Heyy ! I know it's been a while since I've updated, sry :$ :p I hope u enjoy this chapter !**_

_**xoxoxo**_

_**Catching up**_

"For tomorrow, I want a detailed analyse on the state of mind of the population at the time of Voldemort, as well as an essay on Voldemorts many titles."

There's a collective groan from the class as Proffessor Binns gives out the assignment. The boring ghost has been teaching in Hogwarts for as long as anyone in my large family can remember. I can't imagine how awful it must be for him to repeat the same words over and over again, always in the same monotonous drone.

Binns dismisses the class, and I slowly pack my books and scrolls into my bag, in no rush to go to potions class, where we have a snotty Slytherin teacher. Holly, who's next to me, doesn't look much more enthusiastic then myself.

"I hate Mondays."

I stifle a smile at her words, remembering those muggle comics which I love to read, notably Garfield. Unfortunately, Holly would never understand my amusement at that, being a pureblood wizard.

"Do you think your friend would take it as an insult if I compared her to a certain fat cat?" Someone whispers in my ear, and I giggle at that, turning around to see who spoke. My amusement is brusquely cut off, however, when I see that it is Scorpius Malfoy smirking at me.

"Since when can you read Malfoy? Or did you just look at the pictures?" I sneer, showing my roll of parchment into my bag and swinging it over my shoulder, making sure to knock it against Malfoy in the process. At this he grabs my bag and tugs it away from me, in the process causing a few of my quills and pieces of parchment to fall to the ground.

"Oops." Malfoy tugs my bag again, harder than before and this time I'm forced to release it. The annoying blond swings it over his shoulder and walks smoothly away, seeming in no way importuned by the two bags he's carrying. I groan in frustration and set about picking up my quills and parchment from the ground.

…...

"Malfoy, my bag !" I screech, when I spot him sauntering down the hallway, my bag still slung over his shoulder. He turns around and smirks at me upon hearing his name, and then keeps keeps walking until he's lost in the flux of students heading towards the great hall again.

"Cute !" Holly says next to me with a small giggle, and I turn to her, exasperated.

"I don't see whats cute about Malfoy stealing my things, and making me get detention in potions because of it !"

"Cant's you see? That guy is crazy about you, but just doesn't know how to express it !"

"So he's the most insufferable being on earth because he likes me ? That makes perfect sense Hols !" My voice is dripping with sarcasm, but apparently Holly has underdeveloped hearing, as she doesn't pick up on it.

"I know right ?!"

"Sarcasm, Holly."

"Oh..." There's definitely a reason to Holly being blonde.

"Anyway, all delusions aside, let's go eat, I'm starv..."

"All contestants for the Wizard's Charms show are to report to Professor Longbottom's office immediately." The neutral, intercom voice sounds out around the whole school, causing everyone to pause hat they were doing in order to listen to it.

"...ing." I finish, and then sigh.

…...

"Tomorrow you'll be brought to the competition area !" Lavender Brown exclaims, clapping her hands together girlishly, "You'll be cut off from the rest of the world for an _indefinite_ period of time, but don't let it get you down : You'll get the chance to talk to your family if you win one of our mini games ! If you don't have the required skills to win, you'll have to contend with the other contestants. Now go say goodbye to your friends and family, Loony Luna is organising floo powders for you to visit people if you like !"

A few people file out of the office, probably to go see their friends in the school, and the rest of us line up next to the fireplace, where our headmistress is holding a jar of floo powder and looking very disapproving of the whole ordeal.

"I don't see why they have to do this in the first place, Lavender." She says as Lorcan Scamander disappears in a rush of green flames.

"Paparazzi obviously, darling, you never were one for gossip."

"They're only teenagers, and even more sensible to emotion because of it !" Luna's voice seems slightly less dreamy than usual in her anger.

"All the more interesting, the more tears and raging hormones, the better." Lavender winks playfully at us all, but is greeted mostly by frowns.

Hugo is engulfed by the flames in front of me, and it's my turn to go. I quickly hug Luna before grabbing a handful of powder from the jar she's holding and stepping into the flames, smiling at the tickling sensation at my ankles.

"I'll need my bag eventually, Malfoy." I snap at the blond twat standing a few feet away, before calling out my address and being spun away into the fireplace.

…...

"Ow !"

"I told you to get out of fireplaces more quickly you troll." I say, rolling my eyes as I step off Hugo and into our spacious living room. Behind me, my brother clambers to his feet and sets about brushing ash off of his _black_ school robes. He really can be dumb sometimes, it's not as if anyone can see the dumb stuff.

"Rose, Hugo !" I smile when I see my mum rushing towards us, arms outstretched and her bushy brown hair flying behind her. I'm enveloped in an enthusiastic hug seconds after I'd seen her, and released before I can hug my mother back in favor of Hugo. I smile again at my mother's obvious love of us both.

"Hey dad." I say with a grin at my more calm dad, going over to hug him tightly. He grins as he ruffles my hair.

"Hey Rose, so your fame is finally catching up to you ?" He says with a wink, and I punch him playfully in the arm in return.

"_Your _fame, actually, I'm expecting an apology."

"No can do Rose, I can hardly help it if I'm the most gorgeous wizard of the age." He responds with a playful wink, and I giggle as I hug him again. Somehow my dad can always make situations less serious. Somehow, this whole Wizard's Charm ordeal doesn't seem as bad with him joking about it. Apparently he wasn't always like this though ; uncle Harry had once told me, when dad couldn't hear obviously, that he had been a bit of a pain in the second war, when they were hiding from Voldemort. Ginny says that my parents really worked wonders on each other, gradually becoming happier and more playful after their wedding. I think that really is the sweetest thing ever, to love each other so much.

Mum bustles into the kitchen and emerges with a full plate of cookies, and we all spend a happy half-hour eating and catching up, and then eventually get to talking about the competition.

"It's ridiculous to force you all together like that." Mum observes, her lips pursed in disapproval, and dad nods at her side.

"I think it will be interesting." Hugo says with a grin, and we all turn to him in amazement.

"You can't be serious Hugo." I say sceptically.

"What ? It's no different than school, except that we're being watched."

"So you want to have fans watching your every movement, you troll ?"

"Don't call your brother a troll." Mum cuts in, rolling her eyes, "He can think whatever he wants Rose, even if it might seem crazy to you."

"Fans are awesome." Hugo says, smiling smugly. Ok, my brother is definitely mad : how can he put up with, let alone like, the screaming mass of girls that follows him every where in adoration ?

Oh Merlin, I think I just answered my own question. Obviously Hugo, the eternal charmer, would adore that.

"You should like it too, millions of guys you don't even know adore you !"

"That's exactly why I don't like it, imagine a bunch of weirdos having a poster of me in their rooms !"

"You should appreciate it."

"Well I don't care ! People I know should be the only ones with pictures of me, and not even that, when you think of Malfoy."

Hugo just rolls his eyes, flicking his hair away from his eyes in one mechanical head movement.

We spend another quarter of an hour insulting the Malfoys after that, and dad bursts out laughing when we tell him about James' and Fred's latest prank, and even mom has to hold back a giggle when we describe how he fell into the portable pond in an attempt to get away from the fireworks.

Eventually, however, a beautiful eagle patronus comes to announce that we have to return to the school, and me and Hugo hug our parents enthusiastically before my brother steps into the fire, and, after calling out "Hogwarts", disappears in a rush of green flames. I grab a handful and start to step in after him.

"Wait, Rose." Mom calls, and I turn around.

"I'm guessing you'll tell me to watch what I do, and that Lavender will twist around anything that I say for a bit of gossip." I say, smiling softly "Don't worry, I'll be careful, I don't like my fans that much, but I'm guessing that if they hated me it would be much worse."

Dad grins, "Spot on Rose, and make sure you use this opportunity to humiliate Malfoy."

I laugh, "That goes without saying !"

"We love you Rose."

"I love you too." I answer, waving as I step into the fire.

I'm still smiling when I emerge from the Hogwarts fireplace : Scorpius Malfoy is going to have one hell of a year, stuck with me, my brother and my cousins.

_**There we are ! Please review ! :3 Constructive criticism would be much appreciated ! :D I'm putting a lot of exclamation marks here ! x) Virtual cookie to anyone who reviews, but PLZ don't follow without reviewing :)**_

_**xoxoxo**_

_**DarkChocaholic**_


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